Introduction
Private Lives Vs. Professional Lives
One widely accepted tenet is that teachers are expected to be moral exemplars in their community at large as well as within the school community. How does this expectation influence a teacher's personal life? Should it? In this unit, we will examine professional expectations and how they impact teachers' personal lives.
From the News
Consider the video story on this page from Port St. Lucie, Florida. Tiffany Shepherd was a high school biology teacher who worked part-time as an assistant on a deep sea fishing boat.
Discussion Questions
- Although the school district claims that Tiffany Shepherd was fired because of her poor attendance record, the teacher believes that her part-time job played a role in her dismissal. Is it fair that a teacher could be fired for their off-duty conduct?
- One of the owners of the boating company says that the administration was hypocritical. She says "the same people who fired her are women who are out there wearing bikinis in front of their children." Do you see the administration's actions as being hypocritical? Is there a difference between Ms. Shepherd's actions and just wearing a bikini to a pool?
Video Example